A despotic sultan who was blind in one eye invited three artists to paint his picture. If you do a bad portrait, I will punish you, he warned, but if you do a good one I will reward you. Now start! The first artist produced a picture that showed the sultan as he was: blind in one eye. The sultan had him executed for showing disrespect to his monarch. The second artist showed him with both eyes intact. The sultan had him flogged for trying to flatter him. The third artist drew him in profile, showing only his good eye. The sultan, pleased, rewarded him with gold and honours. There was an old Iranian who was intensely proud of two things his long, white beard that reached down to his chest, and his ability to sleep the moment his head touched the pillow. One day, his 3-year-old grandson asked him how he arranged his beard when he slept: did it go under the blanket or did it remain above it? The old man had never paid attention to this detail, and he confessed he didnt remember whether his beard remained above or went under the blanket. He promised to find out. It was very cold that night. The old man got into bed and pulled the blanket over himself. Then he suddenly remembered his grandsons question. He became acutely conscious that his beard was under the blanket. He lifted it from under the blanket, and placed it above it. This made him feel that something was not quite right. So he tucked the beard under the blanket again. But he soon felt it would be better if it were out. In and out went the beard; first under the blanket, then above it, then under once again. The old man spent a sleepless night. The next morning the first thing he did was cut his beard to chin level, to the great joy of his daughter who, for several months, had been urging him to do just that. There was a sickly young girl who always seemed to be at deaths door. Her neighbour was a widow, bent with age. Whenever she caught sight of the girl she would shake her head sadly and say: Oh God, why do you torment that poor child...if you want a life take this old woman! One evening a bull in the village, put its head into a large black pot to get at some grain at the bottom, and then couldnt get its head out. Frightened and confused, it ran hither and thither, unable to see where it was going because its eyes were covered by the pot. Meanwhile, the old woman we mentioned, was visiting her neighbour. She came out and as usual began shaking her head and saying that if God wanted a life he should take hers. Suddenly she became aware that a powerfully-built beast, apparently headless, was rushing at her. Yama has come for me! she thought and was filled with terror. Mercy, my Lord, mercy! she screeched, falling to her knees in front of the advancing bull. Spare me. Theres a sickly girl next door. Take her instead! In the last century, there lived a sultan who waged war tirelessly and finally made himself master of a largish desert."Surely I'm the greatest monarch in the world," he said to his vizier, one day. "What do the people say about me?" "They're all praise for you, Your Excellency," said the vizier, "all except one man, Ali, a camel-driver by profession. He's always running you down." "How dare he!" roared the Sultan. "Bring him here at once. I'll cut out his tongue!!"When Ali was brought to the palace, he threw himself at the Sultan's feet."At last my dearest wish to see you has come true," he said, obsequiously. "I used to say nasty things about you so that I might be brought into your august presence." "Why?" boomed the Sultan."So that I might recite the poem I have written in your honour, O Merciful One." "Recite!" Ali began to recite a poem his grandfather had taught him in his childhood. It proclaimed the greatness of Alexander, the Great but Ali deftly substituted the Sultan's name for Alexander's whenever the need arose.The Sultan was flattered."Good poem," he said, when Ali had finished. "Describes me exactly. You deserve a reward. Choose from one of these magnificent saddles," and he indicated a pile of saddles, lying nearby. Ali chose a donkey's saddle, and thanking the Sultan, bowed himself out of the palace.The people from his village who were sure he would be executed, and were waiting for news about it, outside the gate, were astounded to see him."The Sultan let you go?" they asked, bemused."And why not?" he asked. "I recited a poem in his honour and he rewarded me with one of his best robes." "The sultan gave you his robe!" They gasped. "Where is it?" He showed them the donkey's saddle. Gopal Bhand was once taken to court by a man who claimed that he owned the land on which Gopal's house stood.Gopal had the documents to prove that he owned the land but he knew that the judge who was to try the case was corrupt and could be bought. Gopal decided to take a gift for the judge. At the hearing, the complainant stated his case and then taking out a fat wallet from one pocket transferred it to another in a slow and deliberate manner. The judge understood. He looked at Gopal as if to ask him if he could match the offer. In answer, Gopal patted his own pocket. The judge was pleased to see that it was bulging. He could make out the outlines of two large objects in it and he felt sure they were gold ornaments. He gave a verdict in Gopal's favour and called him to his chambers. Gopal went round to the judge's chambers and began to thank him for deciding the case in his favour. But the judge cut him short with an impatient gesture of his hand. "The gift," he snapped. "Give me whatever you have brought for me!" Gopal took out two large stones from his pocket and gave them to him. A man eating in a restaurant called the waiter and complained that he had been given only one loaf with his meat dish. "I like lots of bread," said the man. "Remember that next time." The next time he came the waiter served him three loaves. "This is better than the last time," said the man. "But I would have liked more bread." The next time he came the waiter served him five loaves but sill the man seemed unhappy. Later the waiter told the cook about the man. The cook said he would see to it that the man was fully satisfied the next time he came. Two days later the man came again. The waiter alerted the cook who alerted the bakery with whom he had placed an order for a loaf 2ft wide, 3ft thick and 6ft long. The bakery delivered the loaf to the restaurant, and the cook and the waiter triumphantly carried the loaf to the customer. The customer stared at the loaf in disbelief."This is the last time I'm coming here!" he announced getting up angrily from his chair and throwing his napkin on the table. "I keep telling you I want more bread and here you are once again serving me just one loaf!" Speaking without thinking can treble your troubles as this ancient story demonstrates. A man was caught stealing a bag of onions and taken before a judge.The judge gave him a choice of three punishments: eat the onions he had stolen at one sitting; submit to a hundred lashes of the whip or pay a fine. The man said he would eat the onions. He began confidently enough but after eating a few, his eyes began to burn, his nose started running and his mouth felt as if it were on fire. I cant eat the onions, he said. Give me the lashes instead. But after he had received a few strokes he began to turn and twist to avoid the whip. I cant bear it! he screamed, finally. Ill pay the fine. So he paid the fine and was let off, but he became the laughing-stock of the city for having taken three punishments for the same crime. A king sent a message to the ruler of a neighbouring country. The message read: "Send me a blue diamond as large as a pigeon's egg or else..." The king on getting the message wrote back: "We don't have such a diamond and if we had..." The first king got very angry and declared war on his neighbour. The fighting went on for several months till a third king arranged a meeting between the two warring rulers. So they met and the first king said to the other: "What did you mean when you said, 'Send me a blue diamond as large as a pigeon's egg or else...'?" "Why," he replied, "I meant a blue diamond as large as a pigeon's egg or else... some other diamond. I love diamonds. But what did you mean when you said, 'We don't have such a diamond and if we had-'?" "It is easy to guess my meaning," said the other man. "What I wanted to say was, if we had such a diamond we would have gladly sent it to you." The Kings pledged to write more clearly in future communications and embraced and made peace. There were two brothers who were always up to some mischief. Ifsomebody had been locked up in his house or if somebody's dog had been painted green, one always knew who the culprits were the brothers. One day the boys' mother asked a priest to talk to her sons and put the fear of God in them so that they would mend their ways. The priest asked her to send her sons to him one at a time. When the younger boy, a lad of thirteen, came, he made him sit and asked him: "Where is God?" The boy did not answer.The priest asked again, in a louder voice: "Where is God?" The boy remained silent. But when the priest asked the same question a third time, the boy jumped up and ran away. He went straight to his brother. "We are in big trouble!" he gasped. "What's wrong?" asked the older boy, warily, wondering which of their sins had caught up with them. "God is missing," said the youngster, "and they think we have something to do with it!" Guru Gampar had told his four disciples that they were never to do anything without his permission. One day while they were on their way to a distant town, Guru Gampar fell asleep in the bullock cart they were travelling in. His head rolled from side to side and suddenly his turban slipped from his head and fell on to the road. But as their guru had told them never to do anything without his permission, none of the disciples made a move to get down and pick it up. When the guru woke up and was told about the loss of his turban he was furious. "Next time anything falls off pick it up at once!" he thundered. Some time later the bullock dropped its dung and the four foolish disciples leaped down and picked it up. Guru Gampar was horrified. He made a list of the things that could fall off from a moving cart. "Pick up any of these things if they fall," he told them, handing them the list. "Don't pick up anything that is not mentioned here." Just then the cart lurched violently and Guru Gampar was thrown headlong into a ditch. Guru Gampar yelled to his disciples to pull him out. "We can't, guruji," said his disciples, sadly. "Your name is not on the list you gave us." Guru Gampar pleaded with them to pull him out, but in vain. "We know you are testing us, guruji," they told him. "But you can rest assured that we will never disobey you. You told us not pick up anything that was not mentioned in your list and we will not do so." "Give me the list!" yelled Guru Gampar. They threw him the list and the pen and the guru hastily scrawled his name on it. Then and then only did the obedient disciples pull their beloved guru out of the ditch and put him back into the cart! We've all heard of milkmen adding water to milk. Madho was one such man. His customers knew but were helpless. There was no other milkman in the locality. One day as Madho was about to start on his rounds in the morning, there was a flash of light and a godly being stood before him. Madho cowered in fright. "Why do you add water to milk, Madho?" asked the god. "I...I..." stammered Madho. "Speak up!" said the god. "I-I do it to increase the quantity of milk so that I can make more money, Lord," said Madho. The god waved his hand and a can of milk identical to the one Madho was carrying appeared before him. "Behold!" said the deity, "I have given you another can of milk. You now have double the quantity of milk you got from your cows, this morning." Madho thanked the god profusely and picking up the can, started walking. He took a few steps and stopped."Yes?" asked the god. "Is there anything more you want?" "I was wondering," said Madho, "If you could..." "Yes! You want another can of milk?" asked the god, kindly. "No...No!" protested Madho. "I'm not that greedy... just give me another can of water. An elderly man went to a doctor with multiple complaints. "I see spots before my eyes," he said. "It's due to old age," said the doctor. "No food agrees with me," said the man. "That too is due to old age," said the doctor. "The digestive system becomes weaker as we grow older." "My back is giving trouble," persisted the man. "Sometimes the pain becomes unbearable." "Old age," said the doctor. This was too much for the man. "Why do you go on saying 'old age, old age'," he screamed. "If you cannot cure me, say so. I'll go elsewhere." "See how easily you lost you temper," said the doctor. "That is another characteristic of old age." An old man who lived in a small side street in the city of Mumbai had to put up with the nuisance of having boys play cricket outside his house, at night.One evening when the boys were particularly noisy he went out to talk to them.He explained that he was a pensioner who was happiest when he could see or hear boys playing his favourite game, cricket. He said he would give them 25 rupees each week to play in the street at night.The boys were thrilled.They were being paid to do something they enjoyed!At the end of the first week they knocked at the old man's house and asked to be paid.He did so.The second week when they asked for payment he said he had run out of money and sent them away with only 15 rupees.The third week the man said he had not yet received his pension and gave them only 10 rupees. The boys were very disappointed but there was not much they could do about it. The fourth week the man said he could not afford to pay them 25 rupees as he had promised, but would give them 5 rupees each week without fail. This was too much for the boys. "You expect us to play seven days a week for a measly 5 rupees!" they yelled. "Go to blazes." They stormed away and never played on the street again. A man was expecting a visit from an acquaintance. He gave two ripe mangoes to his servant and asked him to slice them and serve the fruit when the man came. The servant gave in to temptation and ate a slice. It was so sweet he could not resist eating another one. Then the madness of gluttony seized him and he devoured all the remaining pieces. Suddenly he saw the man his master was expecting coming towards the house. He thought fast. He grabbed a rusty knife and rushing to his master told him he couldn't cut the mangoes as the knife was blunt. "I'll sharpen it," said his master and going to a stone in the garden began to rub the cutting edge of the knife against it. Leaving him to the task the servant ran out to meet the man who was coming. "Beware! Beware!" he said when he reached him. "Don't come to our house. My master has gone mad. He's planning to cut both your ears." "Cut my ears!" exclaimed the man, turning pale. "Why?!" "There he is sharpening the knife," said the servant. The man saw that his host did indeed have a knife in his hands and was sharpening it with what looked to him like a maniacal fury. He did not wait to find out why his host wanted his ears. He turned around and started walking away as fast as he could. The servant rushed back to his master and told him that the man he had invited was running away with the mangoes. "What!" said his master. "The greedy fellow! Has he taken both the mangoes?!" "Yes," said the servant. The man ran after the acquaintance shouting: "Give me one! Give me one at least!" The other man thought he was asking for one of his ears and ran for his life! Lal Bujhakkad is a comic hero of Hindi folklore.He is fond of offering elaborate but foolish explanations for simple phenomena and suggesting outlandish solutions for simple problems or riddles. But he lives among foolish people who are in awe of his learning. They readily believe whatever he tells them and never hesitate to carry out his instructions. Here is a Lal Bujhakkad story. One morning a villager stepped out of his hut and saw huge, round footmarks in the mud outside his dwelling. "Oh, my God! What's this!" he shouted. Soon there was a large crowd outside his hut. None of the villagers had ever seen such large footprints before and they were bewildered by them. They followed the tracks and found that they ran all through the village to the other side. "I think... I think," said a villager, finally, "we were visited by a demon last night." "He must've been of a monstrous size," said another man, shuddering. "Let us not panic," advised a third villager. "There might be a simple explanation for all this. Let's call Lal Bujhakkad. He has helped us so many times in the past..." So Lal Bujhakkad who lived in a neighbouring village, was sent for and he came without fuss. He bent over the prints and studied them from every angle."Some of us think they were made by a d-demon," said the headman, hesitatingly. "You people have such fertile imaginations," said Lal Bujhakkad, giving him a withering look. "No, these tracks were not made by a demon or monster. They were made by a deer." "A deer!" exclaimed the headman. "But they're so big!" "That's because," explained Lal Bujhakkad patiently, "the animal tied large stones to its feet to fool us." The villagers stood gaping in wonder at Lal Bujhakkad."Only you could have seen through the deer's clever trick," said the headman. Lal Bujhakkad graciously acknowledged the compliment and admonishing the villagers for their foolishness, returned home. Some nights later, the animal who had made the tracks, a large elephant, came that way again. The villagers saw the tracks the next morning but this time they were not afraid. They knew the deer was trying to fool them again. 1.If you can do what you love for a living, life will be a lot less stressful and a hell of a lot more fun. (Lisa B., 41) 2.A smile is one of the few contagious things that you should spread. So spread it to everyone! (Marcie W., 27) 3.Never be too proud to ask for help (especially for directions, ahem). (Ashley V., 23) 4.Avoid pulling all-nighters. They're no fun and too much Red Bull is no good for you. (David S., 20) 5.We regret more about the things we didn't do than the things we did do. Get out of yourself and just do it. (Will W., 36) 6.Stop trying to impress people by being someone you're not because in the end, you'll lose yourself. (Anonymous) 7.We don't have to do anything - we always have a choice. (Tim W., 38) 8.The best feeling in the world is getting paid to do what you love to do. (Laozhang, 36) 9.No one can make you feel anything you don't want to. (Jennifer K., 28) 10. The older I get, the less I care about what others think of me. Therefore, the older I get, the more I enjoy life. (Michael M., 57) 11. The word "Family" rarely ends up meaning blood related, and usually ends up becoming who we allow them to be. (Celeste, 29) 12. The purpose of life is simply to live a life of purpose. With no reason to get up in the morning life can start to really get you down. Watch out retirees! Make sure you retire to something instead of from something. (Ricky K., 33) 13. If you have the choice to be right or kind, always pick kind! (Kate, 55) 14. Life is a fight, and even though it seems like you're going to get knocked out, you must keep on fighting! (Frank, 17) 15. Even a snake's a saint unless stepped upon. Learn to forgive people who hurt you, hate is like holding onto burning coal. (James, 32) 16. I have taken noticed that the deeper I know about myself, the clearer I understand others. (Sambo, 25) 17. Make Jesus your best friend. With faith, let Him guide and direct you in all you do. It's guaranteed to work that way. (Ras'Mel, 46) 18. Change is the only pemanant thing in life. (Malik, 28) 19. Always put yourself in the other's shoes, if it hurts you, it probably hurts the other too. (Shashank, 19) 20. Success is a game. The more you play the more you win. The more you win the more successfully you can play the game. (Durga, 40) 21. Take the stairs. There is no elevator. (Anonymous) 22. Years at school will seem short compared to a life time of minimum wage jobs. Get a good education, and achieve your dreams! (Anonymous) 23. Always empty your cup, always ask for more knowledge so you will be able to help yourself and others. (Ameen, 26) 24. Never be afraid to fail because through failure comes success. (Shanterica B., 15) 25. I've learn that loving someone doesn't always mean keeping them. Sometimes, it also means you have to let them go. (MJ, 28) 26. There are no things or powers in life that can offer you a hand to your dreams except meeting new people who are better than you. You always can learn something from them. (Dmitry, 16) 27. Dream big dreams, believe in yourself, trust in God, and work hard so that those dreams can be a reality. (Natalia, 20) 28. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy. (Ayesha, 15) 29. We regret day and night but overcoming those regret is not that easy. (Aarushi, 14) 30. Live a life of purpose and love. (Anonymous, 37) 31. Life is the greatest teacher of its kind. It always teaches us to do more. (Syed H., 46) 32. If you want something in your life you've never had, you'll have to do something, you've never done. (JD Houston, 42) 33. My life experience is that I am learning to become more of myself rather than comparing myself with other people. Other people expect me to be like them, but I don't want to be like them, I just want to be more of myself and to accept myself for who I am. (Sharon N., 39) 34. I had my children very young and if I have managed to teach them half of what they half taught me, then I have done a good job! (Marisela, 35) 35. From King Solomon: This too shall pass. (Tapasya, 28) 36. Accept people as they are. (Anish B., 34) 37. You can't be what you can't see. If you see it... you will be it. (Paula, 52) 38. When you're trying to achieve something, or improve, remember that there are no limits, only expectations. Expect to do more, and more you will do. (Sahil, 14) 39. The most funniest thing in life is doing what people say, you can't. (Nandhu, 22) 40. Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed because having ups and downs are always part of it just like a roller coaster ride. (Lorena, 32) 41. Do not find the reason to smile, just find the way. (Gaurav M., 24) 42. Love yourself without condition. (Sally, 38) 43. Past failures should never dictate who you are today or where you are going. (Jackie, 35) 44. If it's out of your control, why fret about it? (Stacy, 24) 45. A winner must first know what losing is like. Without failure, there is no success. (Chima O., 30) 46. In everything that you do always give your 100% as if there's no tomorrow. (Caloyski, 28) 47. Past records count for nothing when the race starts. (Henry, 23) 48. If you don't commit to anything, don't commit, but once you do commit, don't live in the middle. (Bala K.) 49. If you can laugh together, you can work together. (Yuvraj K., 25) 50. The more you learn, the more you grow. The more you grow, the more you earn. The more you earn, the more happier you become. (Babukhan M., 40) 51. If you want to love people, never judge them. (Ashutosh, 25) 52. Do what you can for others since you know what you can do for yourself. (Nana, K., 29) 53. Life is the reflection of your thoughts, so generate pure thoughts to make life beautiful. (Sarita, 25) 54. In life, nothing is certain and nothing is perfect. Just rise above the challenge. (Star, 32) 55. Impossibility is what nobody can until somebody does it. (Masak, 26) 56. Always aim high and aspire big but in the process remain practical, to be happy. (Mukul, 26) 57. Don't let trouble, trouble you, until trouble troubles you. (Joe A., 52) 58. Failures may be so hurtful and disappointing, knowing you did your best in everything. But it doesn't mean life must end there. Stand up and live. Keep the Spirit and confidence. Be strong and Keep your faith by making the best out of it. For everything happens for a reason, a reason to teach you and correct you and a reason to bring the strength in you. (Florskie, 26) 59. Everyone has skeletons in their closets or personal demons they fight but don't let that stop you from being successful. (Matthew A., 23) 60. Enjoy life and cherish it. Remember the good times, the bad times, and worse times, because each one has made you a better person and has made you grow. (Matthew A., 23) 61. Between what happened and what will happen is our choice. So choose to be positive in everyday tasks. (Edwin J., 37) 62. Mind over matter. Matter is an illusion. What matters is mind. (Yeshe D., 62) 63. Never regret, if it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience. (Stacey, 33) 64. Life is full of fun if you learn to play with difficulties. (Mayank C., 24) 65. Nothing changes if nothing changes. (Gina, 53) 66. I learned how to live my own dreams when I encouraged my son to follow his. (Shenetta, 37) 67. A teacher is nothing but a clever student. (Mohammed M., 62) 68. As people we tend to worry about the things that dont matter and forget about the things that do. Enjoy your life to the fullest because you never know when its going to end. So smile more, love more and enjoy more. Dueling on things just ruins your life. Being mad or upset with others for things they have done is just a waste of your energy. You cant change the past or the mistakes. You can only change your future. (Brian A.) 69. Life has taught me to always be myself. (Samio, 23) 70. Review your mistakes committed everyday and promise not to repeat it again.(Pran, 25) 71. You're never too old to follow your dreams whatever they may be. (Julie S., 55) 72. Love what you do, do what you love. (Soni, 33) 73. What a wonderful feeling to be alive. To be able to see the sun shinning and to be able to make something positive happen for us, our family, our community and/or our friends. (Juan J., 38) 74. Never forget those that gave you a helping hand, someday you will need them again. (Ada, 22) 75. Don't care what others think of you, and you will save yourself a lot of mental energy that instead can be used to push you towards success. (Neil, 19) 76. The more obstacles you overcome, the stronger you become. (Kalu C., 33) 77. Life's a garden... dig it! (Harry B., 34) 78. People tolerate in life what they subject themselves to. (Kathleen C., 26) 79. There is no alternative to hard work. (Babesri, 32) 80. Don't let things happen in your life. Instead make it happen. (Ashok S., 27) 81. Never live your life compared to someone else's standards, because for one, you don't know what their standards are, and secondly, you are not them. Everyone has their strong points, don't ever downgrade your own. (Gabby, 23) 82. You can never be happy if you've never been sad. (Matt, 19) 83. With hope and hardwork anything can be achieved. Don't be afraid with results, it will come with the whole process of commitment and persistence. (Dinesh B., 40) 84. Be willing to learn more about life in general. (Howard, 28) 85. Life is like a bicycle with one wheel in front of the other. You leave tire marks of the past behind. You might break sometimes and even have a flat tire. But you never run out of gas. (Amanda, 19) 86. kEep moVing forWard! (Kamla, 12) 87. Don't try to be popular, its no ones calling. (Joe, 47) 88. The more I give of myself unconditionally the more I seem to receive. LIVING IS GIVING - GIVING IS LIVING :) (Colin, 53) 89. No one gets out alive, and there is no U-haul at the end of a funeral procession - so, leave the best of you behind. (Tom, 59) 90. When you stand on what you believe in, you can change the world. (Gagan L., 24) 91. Always demand the impossible, dare to start that dream. (Chris Y., 26) 92. What you think upon... grows! You'll attract more of what you focus upon.. positive or negative.. It's your choice. Focus on what you have and what's right, not on what you don't have and what's wrong... And say thank you for what you have as often as possible.. it will change your life! (Kalf G., 42) 93. Perseverance will make you great. (Anbu, 50) 94. Life is a game of Chess, learn to play it wisely. (Dars M., 23) 95. Always tell an obstacle that you are bigger than it by overcoming it. (Chuks O., 25) 96. If your standing in the crowd, you're doing something wrong. (Fred, 17) 97. Never change your beliefs because someone else wants you to. Change them only because you want to. (Izer, 23) 98. To have a long lasting relationship with anybody; always look out for their strengths and less at their weakness. (Will, 24) 99. When you get a second chance in life, do not regret, hold it with both bands and make things happen. Nothing is impossible until you decide to stop trying! (Anonymous, 20) 100.I learned that life can sometimes be pretty tough but without these challenges, it wouldn't be called life. The down's in life make the up's much more enjoyable. (Mary, 49) 101.Passion is the overflow of what we are gifted in. (Buick, 37) 102.I've learned that the contentment of life isn't about what people have to say about you, sometimes we have to be satisfied with what we think we are, be it good or bad. We should not put our happiness in someone else's satisfaction. (Anonymous) 103.Don't get a job doing what you love because you will learn to hate what you loved. Instead find something that allows you to do what you love during your downtime. (Jon S., 26) 104.Learning to live stress free and without negative thoughts, is the key to staying positive. The key to staying positive, is living through a lifetime of stressful and negative situations with a positive outlook. (Mark, 52) 105.Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing. (Laurie, B., 52) 106.Life is like a ball in the field, the ball doesn't move unless the player kick it, so the same to life. Don't allow people to control your life. Your life is in your hands. (Maya S., 27) 107.Tomorrow is a desire, not a promise. (DJ W., 31) 108.When you fall for a guy never, ever move to fast because he will only hurt you in the end. (Leisha, 16) 109.You make your own purpose and trust with good intentions that it is the reason for your existence. (Courtney, 23) 110.Winners don't count the days,they make the days count. (Harshal, 20) 111.If you see a rule that isn't good, don't follow it, reach the TOP and then change it. (Dimps, 30) 112.You will feel that life was too short even if you live to 150 years old. So please don't waste you time, it will never come again. (Irfan B., 23) 113.Never just sit and dream. Set your dream and chase it 'till you make it. Never think of giving up.(Nelson, 20) 114.I don't know what I can say, but I can say I don't know.it's the result of life. (Farshad, 26) 115.If you're not willing to fight and die for your own life you're never gonna be able to fully live. (Juan, 17) 116.Don't react fast. Respond only after you understand the situation. Don't react if you can ignore. (Roli, 26) 117.The thing about monkeys on your back, is that, they may throw banana peels under your feet, causing you to slip, and inevitably, fall. (Anivid, 45) 118.Once you count your blessing, you will lack nothing. Be motivated at all times to do the wonderful things in life. (Somveer S., 40) 119.When you desire to learn about forgiveness and unconditional love, the only teacher you need is your dog. (Sharon, 27) 120.Be happy with yourself. Dont let anyone control you and your decisions in your life. You only live one time. Make the best of it. Always have God with you. (Princesita, 27) 121.In life don't compare yourself with other people. Just live your life according to your strategy and do not fake yourself for the sake of impressing others. (Lungile, 26) 122.It surely takes a lotta patience to be patient. (Jules, 35) 123.Life is a school where you are taught all that you never knew. (Keyshia, 20) 124.Don't ever fret, just forget all the things that you regret because in the end, it's the past. Don't live the next day like your last. (Danielle, 23) 125.I would say purposelessness is the root of all evil.. have a plan when u wake up in the morning. It's amazing what u can achieve when you do. (Anonymous, 18) 126.Some people negate the fact that life is a two way street, cant have good without evil, no love without hate, and no truth without lies. (Colby J., 19) 127.Life is a journey full of obstacles. (Jason, 17) 128.Our background and things we did may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. (John C., 21) 129.One thing I learned from the past since my mom died is; to stay strong from the Lord, because God is the God of all comfort. (Shawn, 23) 130.Listen to your elders because they have lived regret. (Jason, 32) 131.We all start as beginners, but progress at different rates. (Miguel S., 11) 132.Life is a journey. Keep walking until you reach your goals. Keep walking. (Oscar, 27) 133.Life is what I make it, so mind how I take it (react to it)...I believe God will allow us to keep going through the lesson until we pass it in His eyes. (Javonna, 39) 134.Life is beautiful. Self belief, love, and faith will make you live life without tension and worries. (Aushi, 25) 135.The harder the challenge the sweeter the victory. The higher the climb the sweeter the View. Your greatest problem is your greatest chlallenge which is your greatest opportunity. (Ari, 18) 136.I know everything is possible and achievable. (Enoch, 33) 137.Stop blaming others, stop complaining, stop comparing yourself with others for everything that happens in your life. You just have to stand up and show the world that your are born to win. We all are wonderful the way we are. (Sahsi, 17) 138.Don't waste your time while you're still young and fresh. Behave well ... go to school and concentrate taking a good education. Education is the best investment and tool to find a better job - your dream. So, let your dreams come true. (Lynn C., 26) 139.It's not important how much time is being wasted; what's important is what you do with the time that you have. (Wa, 31) 140.Never follow the traveled path, because it will take you where others has been. Create your own path to be followed by others. (Somveer P., 40) 141.I have lived through something so terrible I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But through that experience I've learned to forgive all that was done and go on with life because I was strong enough to pull myself through without hurting myself or others around me. (Rachel, 17) 142.Many ask about the purpose of life but there are few who know that the purpose is in living itself. (Rishabh S., 19) 143.Be Cool, Be Calm, Be Brave, Be Wise, Just Be. (Nathier G, 30) 144.You have all the talents needed in your environment and that is why you were made to be there. Just a little confidence in being yourself and keep moving you will be awarded a big gift from the world (NJ, 17) 145.It doesn't matter how many times you fall; or how many paths you have to take just to get there. Get up and make changes; learn from the past. Act, Move, Learn beacuse no one can do that for you. (CRS, 29) 146.Whenever you achieve your best, take a moment to congratulate yourself, then aim to go one better. Nobody will be the best at everything they try but that doesnt mean that you shouldnt try your best at everything. (Anna, 17) 147.Smile. Because somewhere it's making someone happy...and pissing someone off at the same time. (Matthew, 20) 148.The more you get hurt the stronger you get. (BB, 21) 149.One thing I learned from angry birds (the game); same moves give you same results.If you feel stuck in life simply change your move. (Majd, 33) 150.Even if being yourself pisses people off, be you. Do not let your fears of not being everyone's friend stop you. Don't let it stop you from being the true you. Once you find yourself and learn to live with yourself, you will find where you belong. (Alex G., 17) 151.Love yourself first. (Simphiwe M., 21) 152.Be sure you know you deserve to be loved, be happy, healthy and wealthy. If you don't think yourself worthy, ask "why?" and find the ridiculousness in the answer. (Bogdan, 24) 153.Life's too short to worry about the mistakes you make. Just be proud of who you are and live to please nobody but yourself. Just live life like there's no tomorrow. (Anonymous, 16) 154.Life is not about winning, it's about not giving up. (Siddharth, 19) 155.Do all the good you can. By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can. (Annu, 30) 156.The youths are always learning, pass on what you can before it dies. (Elijah V., 86) 157.Life is playing a game of Chess with God. After Every move of yours , he makes the next move. Your move is called CHOICES and his moves are called CONSEQUENCES. (Vivek, 33) 158.Do not try to be other people. (Ashwini K., 24) 159.In life, you get as many chances as you are will to take. (Monica M. 27) 160.Life is a commercial that will be over, but stay turned. Concentrate on the present and never worry about the future. (Clement, 20) 161.In this life there is no person called loser, but there are people who started from zero and stayed there. (Rowaishan, 24) 162.Every day may not be good, but there's something good in each day; let's make the most of it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. Believe the impossible and it will come to pass. (Tara S., 39) 163.It's better to be a man people jealous over rather than the one who gets jealous. (Ian I., 25) 164.Nothing is impossible, even the word says so itself 'I'm possible'. (Dorothy, 19) 165.It doesn't matter how many say it cannot be done or how many people have tried it before; it's important to realize that whatever you're doing, it's your first attempt at it. (Geolabious, 22) 166.The day you will stop looking yourself from others eyes,you can achieve whatever you want. (Vineet, 20) 167.Pay your bills on time. (Maya M., 28) 168.Work for the job you want, not the job you have. (Zac, 25) 169.Life is always simple.. but WE make it 'complicated' by our complex thoughts. (Aditi, 21) 170.Do not waste your time looking for a star to shine into your life; instead, make yourself a star to shine into your own life. (Manuel J., 20) 171.A challenge is only a new way to learn and grow. (Ryan, 13) 172.Fall in Love with the Creator of the Universe! He is also your Savior. He knows you because He made you. It's not about religion it's about relationship. (Cythnia, 49) 173.Don't always live with the all-or-nothing attitude.Often something small is better than nothing at all. (Anonymous, 15) 174.Live your life the way you want to and not the way others expect you to live. (Shiv, 28) 175.Do not try so hard to fit in, because you were born to stand out! (Annielace, 53) 176.The greatest lesson I have learned is to walk in someone else's shoes. This expands our moral awareness. (Jahlion T., 17) 177.The past has the potential of repeating itself. (Ernest, 31) 178.Life moves on, don't keep your problems. (Jake, 36) 179.Life is like an ice cream. Enoy it before it melts so make your each day happy and free. (Chirag, 23) The Window" (Author unknown) Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One manwas allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the militaryservice, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when theman in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods wherehis world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity andcolor of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water whilechildren sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisitedetail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptivewords. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should hehave all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to seeanything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man feltashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by thatwindow - and that thought now controlled his life. Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the windowbegan to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and chokingstopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence. The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--nowords, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if hecould be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. Moral of the story: The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy. Touching life story..... A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he toldhim that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on themorningof his graduation his father called him into his privatestudy. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fineson, andtold him how much he loved him. He handed his sona beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily,he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money yougivemea Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holybook. Many years passed and the young man was very successful inbusiness. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. Hehad not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. Heneeded to come home immediately and take care things.When he arrived athis father's house, sudden sadness andregret filled his heart. He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. Withtears,he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As heread those words, a car key dropped from an envelopetaped behind the Bible.Ithad a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had thesportscar he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

DON'T WE ALL I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just comefrom the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society wouldconsider a bum.From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and nomoney. There are times when you feel generous but there are other timesthat you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don'twant to be bothered times.""I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.He didn't.He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't looklike he could have enough money to even ride the bus.After a few minutes he spoke."That's a very pretty car," he said.He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scragglyblond beard keep more than his face warm.I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car. He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money nevercame.As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him ifhe needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held trueto the inner voice."Do you need any help?" I asked.He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it fromthose of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but anoutstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me."Don't we all?" he said.I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bumin the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gaugeshotgun.Don't we all?I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but Ineeded help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for busfare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Thosethree little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matterhow much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little youhave, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money ora place to sleep, you can give help.Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A differentperspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite fromdaily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybehe was more than that.Maybe he was sent by a power that is great andwise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves. Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."Don't we all? FRIENDSHIP AND LOVEoLove starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear.oDon't cry over anyone who won't cry over you.oGood friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.oYou can only go as far as you push.oActions speak louder than words.oThe hardest thing to do is watch the one you love, love somebody else.oDon't let the past hold you back; you're missing the good stuff.oLife's short. If you don't look around once in a while, you might miss it.oA best friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.oIf you think that the world means nothing, think again. You might mean the world to someone else. oWhen it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be thereoTrue friendship never ends.oFriends are forever.oGood friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.oDon't frown. You never know who is falling in love with your smile.oWhat do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?oNOBODY IS PERFECT UNTIL YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM. (Isn't that the truth?)oEverything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.Most people walk in and out of you life. But only True friends leave footprints in your heart.Send this on to everyone special in your life, even the people who really make you mad sometimes. Whether we realize it or not, everyone we know is very special to us.When we look back on our younger years, we willremember the people who went to school with us, the people who made us laugh, the people who hung out with us when nobody else would, and thepeople who made our lives much better simply by being a part of it. There may be somebody who is thinking about you RIGHT NOW and wishing that you were around. That's the wonderful thing about friendship-you always feel loved and cared about. The most important thing to remember is... Always appreciate the friends that you have.A fight may come and go very easily, but a friendship could last forever. For every second spent in anger, a minute of happiness is wasted.So send this to your friends and let them know that you care. THE BRICK

About ten years ago, a young and very successful executive named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his sleek, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and - WHUMP! - it smashed Into the Jag's shiny black side door! SCREECH..!!!! Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. "That's my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?" "Please, mister, please. . . I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" Pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE -a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. . . Some bricks are softer than others. Feel for the bricks of life coming at to you. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has positive answers.BUTTERFLY A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!I asked for Strength......... And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong. I asked for Wisdom......... And God gave me Problems to solve. I asked for Prosperity......... And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work. I asked for Courage......... And God gave me Danger to overcome. I asked for Love......... And God gave me Troubled people to help. I asked for Favors......... And God gave me Opportunities. I received nothing I wanted ........ I received everything I needed!Trust in God. Always ! THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.Value A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don't ever forget it! You don't actually have to take the quiz. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point, an awesome one. ..... Take this quiz:1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor actress.6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These areno second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields.But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special.5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you. Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are notthe ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.Always be careful... By Valerie

Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her "Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." The lady then said that the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The police said, "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." He told her that they think the serial killer has a baby's cry recorded, and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside of their doors, when they're home alone at night.This should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.Life Still Has A Meaning If there is a future there is time for mending- Time to see your troubles coming to an ending. Life is never hopeless however great your sorrow- If you're looking forward to a new tomorrow. If there is time for wishing then there is time for hoping- When through doubt and darkness you are blindly groping. Though the heart be heavy and hurt you may be feeling- If there is time for praying there is time for healing. So if through your window there is a new day breaking- Thank God for the promise, though mind and soul be aching, If with harvest over there is grain enough for gleaning- There is a new tomorrow and life still has meaning. Unconditional Love - motivating story A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco."Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me.""Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him.""There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

DETERMINATON In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge. The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams." "It`s foolish to chase wild visions." Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again. For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do. Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are. Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence. This Is Good An old story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!" One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this.""No," his friend replied, "This is good!" "What do you mean,'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?" "If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you." ********************************* The Fence There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said "you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one." You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.******************************* How Rich Are We? One day a father and his rich family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night on the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "Very good Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Yeah!" "And what did you learn?"The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard; they have a whole horizon." When the little boy was finished, his father was speechless. His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how 'poor' we are!"Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude towards life -- you've got everything! You can't buy any of these things. You may have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc.; but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing! *********************************** Puppies for Sale A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read "Puppies For Sale." Signs like that have a way of attracting small children and sure enough, a little boy appeared by the store owner's sign. "How much are you going to sell the puppies for?" he asked. The store owner replied, "Anywhere from $30-$50."The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. "I have $2.37," he said. "May I please look at them?" The store owner smiled and whistled, out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind.Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, "What's wrong with that little dog?" The store owner explained that the veteriarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn't have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame. The little boy became excited. "That is the little puppy that I want to buy." The store owner said, "No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I'll just give him to you."The little boy got quite upset. He looked into the store owner's eyes, pointing his finger, and said, "I don't want you to give him to me. That dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I'll pay full price. In fact, I'll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for."The store owner countered, "You really don't want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies."To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, "Well, I don't run so good myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!"Paid In Full A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he shouted at his father and said "with all your money, you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house.Many years passed and the young man had become very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father now was getting old, and thought perhaps he should go see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still gift-wrapped Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages.His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt.7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had wanted. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.Don't Hope... Decide! While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about -the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me. Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jetway, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags.He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, "Me, too, Dad!"Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son's face in his hands said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug.While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father.The man said, "Hi, baby girl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing.He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. "I love you so much!" They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be.I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me.I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those." he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked the man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile."Two whole days!" Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks - if not months. I know my expression betrayed me, I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!"The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend... decide!" Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and strode away together.I was still watching that exceptional man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What'cha looking at?" Without hesitating, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!"**********************************How Much Do You Make An Hour? With a timid voice and idolizing eyes, the little boy greeted his father as he returned from work, "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" Greatly surprised, but giving his boy a glaring look, the father said: "Look, son, not even your mother knows that. Don't bother me now, I'm tired." "But Daddy, just tell me please!? How much do you make an hour," the boy insisted.The father finally giving up replied: " Twenty dollars per hour." "Okay, Daddy? Could you loan me ten dollars?" the boy asked. Showing restlessness and positively disturbed, the father yelled: "So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right?? Go to sleep and don't bother me anymore!"It was already dark and the father was meditating on what he had said and was feeling guilty. Maybe he thought, his son wanted to buy something. Finally, trying to ease his mind, the father went to his son's room."Are you asleep son?" asled the father. "No, Daddy. Why?" replied the boy partially asleep. "Here's the money you asked for earlier," the father said. "Thanks, Daddy!" rejoiced the son, while putting his hand under his pillow and removing some money. "Now I have enough! Now I have twenty dollars!" the boy said to his father, who was gazing at his son, confused at what his son just said. "Daddy could you sell me one hour of your time?" ********************************* The old man shuffled slowly into the restaurant. With head tilted, and shoulders bent forward, he leaned on his trusty cane with each unhurried step. His tattered cloth jacket, patched trousers, worn out shoes, and warm personality made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds, large rosy cheeks, and thin lips held in a tight, steady smile. He stopped, turned with his whole body, and winked at a little girl seated by the door. She flashed a big grin right back at him. A young waitress named Mary watched him shuffle toward a table by the window. Mary ran over to him, and said, "Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair." Without saying a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she scooted the table up close to him, and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it. In a soft, clear voice he said, "Thank you, Miss. And bless you for your kind gestures." "You're welcome, Sir." She replied. "And my name is Mary. I'll be back in a moment, and if you need anything at all in the mean time, just wave at me!" After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change from his ticket. He left it lay. She helped him up from his chair, and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, "Come back and see us, Sir!" He turned with his whole body, winked a smile, and nodded a thank you. "You are very kind." he said softly. When Mary went to clean his table, she almost fainted. Under his plate she found a business card and a note scribbled on a napkin. Under the napkin was a one hundred dollar bill. The note on the napkin read... "Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you." The man she had waited on was the owner of the restaurant where she worked. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees had ever seen him in person. One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather's belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, "To my grandson." Recognizing his grandfather's handwriting, the boy opened the envelope. A letter inside read: Dear Ronny, Years ago you came to me for help. You said, "Grandpa, how is it that you've accomplished so much in your life? You're still full of energy, and I'm already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you've got?" I didn't know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are numbered, I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe. I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it 'keeping your eyes wide open.' First, realize that life is filled with surprises, but many are good ones. If you don't keep watching for them, you'll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while, and you will be. When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They'll leave you wiser, stronger, and more capable than you were the day before. When you make a mistake, be grateful for the things it taught you. Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals. And always follow the rules. Even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you're only fooling yourself. It's also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your mind focused on it, and be prepared to receive it. But be ready to end up in some new places too. As you grow with the years, you'll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings. Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Life isn't just reaching peaks. Part of it is moving from one peak to the next. If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit. Leave the past in the past. Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view. Dump things that weigh you down emotionally and spiritually. When an old resentment, belief, or attitude becomes heavy, lighten your load. Shed those hurtful attitudes that slow you down and drain your energy. Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going. And be sure to take breaks once in a while. They'll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most to you. Most important of all, never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the one who resolves to win. Give life everything you've got, and life will give its best back to you. Love always, Grandpa *********************** I used to see a dirty and ragged man sit at the light where I turned onto the freeway on one of the many routes I took to work back when I lived in the city for a while. I couldn't say he was an old man, neither could I say he was young. He had the look of another place. It was easy to see that he was without home or without food and without the comforts that so many of us take for granted. And there he would sit and wait upon the kindness of strangers, the bare soles of his feet worn black and hard from wearing no shoes. Many drivers would speed by him in the hopes that he hadn't seen - that they had seen him. It was if they acknowledged his presence, something was wrong with them, because they gave nothing. If they acted like they hadn't seen him - they could deny he was there. I know because I pretended that I hadn't seen him too. He never asked for money. He didn't carry a sign. He just sat at this light, at this median in the road with his head bowed, heavy with thoughts unknown to any but himself. Sometimes I would drive a different way, because I had nothing to give or I felt guilty because I was being selfish, clinging to the change for my Starbuck's Venti Latte. And then I couldn't stand it any more. This man, this solitary person, this being that had the look of another place stayed in my soul quietly hovering. It was if something was telling me that I must give what I could to this weary soul. I made the decision that day to drive this route, and no matter what anyone thought, I could no longer drive by this being without giving something. I dug down deep and laid the change upon the passenger's seat and rushed to greet him, full of myself. He was not there. And so, when days passed and I took that route again and again, I made sure I always had change. Sometimes I would come with my hands full of my gift, this token, this toll I would gladly pay knowing that I had made a difference. I would reach my hand out the window and his would meet mine in mid-air. He would say thank you ever so quietly and humbly and briefly look into my eyes with warm brown eyes. He had the eyes of a child; no malice lived there. I would continue driving feeling just a little bit lighter. One morning, when the sun rose to greet the day, and the cars struggled like so many cattle rushing through the only gate toward pasture, I saw him again. I dug down deep and produced a handful of change and slowed to give it over to his dirty hand. And as I did so, a man behind me laid on his horn as I slowed to stop. I threw my hand up into the eye of the rearview mirror like a mother waving at an impatient child, letting the horn-blarer know just what I thought. I put on the brakes and ignored the man behind me because he didn't know anything else. And I reached out to give this stranger my change. This moment in time, this moment ongoing will be with me always. The man reached out to take my change and he looked into my eyes again. Only where brown eyes used to be, the blue of a fresh morning sky greeted me with a look that had seen forever. And he smiled. That smile sailed through my soul like lightning and landed somewhere next to my heart. I knew that I had looked into the eyes of an angel. And I've never seen him since. So teach him to close the door", my daughter Emma responded after listening to me complain, again, about the dog coming in from the back door, bringing with him a blast of Buffalo January cold air. Teach a dog to close a door behind him? You got to be kidding. That has got to be a really, really hard thing to do, and I do not have any dog credentials following my name. But then she took it a step further. "Come on Kolby", she said, grabbing some treats and positioning him in front of the open door. "Touch." And "touch" he did, which moved the door to a closed position. She rewarded him with a treat, smiled, looked at me, and said "see!" And I saw and became convinced. Over the last few days I have been consistent with Kolby. Each time he comes in I bring him back to the open door and ask him to close (I changed the target word, making the command more specific). There have been failures, but lately more and more successes. And I knew we turned the corner this morning when he asked to be let out just so I would open the door, so that he could close it and be treated. WOW There remains work to be done. I have to remove the hand signal and work so that he will close the door from a distance. But, I now realize, with consistency of focus the task will be completed, and, with the way things are progressing, completed quickly. What a wonderful treat to have a dog that can close the door after himself. Even more wonder can be found in the lessons I learned so clearly from both Emma and Kolby. A wish is just a wish until you decide to take action. Once you decide to accomplish a goal, and decide that it "is" easy (remember Emma's assurance), than it becomes easy to do what needs to be done. Just start doing it. As long as one holds on to the belief that it is "too hard", than it remains "too hard" and out of reach. Working towards the accomplishment of a goal can be loads of fun, and full of lots and lots of treats. So what have you been wishing for lately? And what has been stopping you from getting started?